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Old Point Caswell Community

Point Caswell, in western Pender County, North Carolina was a thriving
community. Located between Currie and Atkinson, near Moore's Creek , it
was once the largest community in Pender County. Large enough to have been
considered for the county courthouse in the 1800's.

It was a very busy river town with a 3 story hotel, a general store,
tailor, blacksmith, doctor, schools, churches, jail and saloons. Ship building
was a major industry. Other industries included, farming, lumber, saw mills,
and the home of the first newspaper in Pender County. The newspaper was
"Caswell Times", 1884.

Riverboats transported people and goods back and forth between Wilmington
and Point Caswell, on the Black River, as it was the best means of transportation,
at the time. With the coming of the railroad, and trucking, the riverboats
were replaced and soon Point Caswell lost it's importance and began to
decline.

As of 1997, all that remained of this very thriving riverside community
was an old church and the old Sherman Family home, which was once a tavern
on the wharf. Otis Sherman lived there until his death in the 1970's. He
was also the last member of the old Baptist Church.

At the time the information in this article appeared in print in the
"Pender Chronicle, Burgaw, NC, July 16, 1997" , the Sherman home was still
being lived in, but the old church was not being used and had not been
since the1950's. It was in much need of repairs.

The Caswell Missionary Baptist Church was organized by T. H. Pritchard,
Rev.'s D.C. Kelly and W.G. Kennedy, in the home of William Sherman, on
October 16, 1884. The property for the church was purchased on October
4, 1884. The church was not dedicated until until after June 18, 1889,
so the exact date the structure was built is unknown.

The information above was obtained from an article
printed in the Pender Chronicle Burgaw, NC July 16, 1997 by: Staff Writer-
Pam Patterson